Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a voltage stabilizer configuration having a voltage stabilizer for producing a stabilized output voltage from a variable input voltage.
Voltage stabilizers serve the purpose of producing a constant output voltage from a variable input voltage.
As a rule, voltage stabilizers operate with an in-phase-regulated transistor as an actuator, which has a control input driven by a stabilized control voltage. It is possible, given a constant control voltage, to largely stabilize the output voltage in a defined operating range, by way of the characteristic response of the transistor acting as the actuator.
The German journal "Funkschau" 1970, Issue 2, pages 51, 52 discloses a stabilized laboratory power supply unit which uses two series-connected in-phase regulators to produce a stabilized output voltage in a wide voltage range from a relatively slightly varying input voltage (the power supply voltage).
The stabilized output voltage serves, as a rule, to supply voltage to electronic circuits which are connected downstream and often have a dedicated voltage regulator for voltage supply.
Electronic circuits often have to be able to operate in a wide supply voltage range, even with supply voltages close to the minimum permissible supply voltage of the electronic components being used. Therefore, the minimum voltage drop between the input voltage and the supply voltage of the electronic components, wherein the voltage drop is caused by the stabilization circuit, should tend to zero, as far as possible.
Electronic circuits and their components are often exposed to high temperatures. When a specific operating temperature range is exceeded, the power loss of the components and of the circuit increases as a rule. That problem also applies to the voltage regulator, since the temperature and therefore the power loss in the voltage regulator increase approximately proportionally to the supply voltage.
A further appreciable problem is posed by undershooting of a minimum permissible supply voltage of the electronic components. In such a case, the electronic circuit is supposed to be reliably deactivated.